Hipchen belts 2 more homers in Geneva's wild win

The weather-plagued Western Sun Conference three-game series between Kaneland and Geneva had it all on Thursday afternoon.

The game was moved to Geneva due to field conditions at Kaneland, and darkness was rapidly descending as the schools went toe-to-toe for three hours.

The Knights had runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning as Geneva nursed its precarious 1-run lead.

But Geneva second-baseman Brian Cornick stymied the Knights' double-steal attempt by gunning down Kyle Davidson at the plate to preserve the Vikings' cushion.

Marcus Stierwalt then recorded the final out with a strikeout; the Vikings' thrill-a-minute 12-11 comeback victory enabled the squad to remain undefeated in league play.

The teams' third and final game of the series will be made up on Monday at Geneva.

The Vikings improved to 6-2 overall, 2-0 in conference play; Kaneland fell to 4-6, 0-2.

For the second consecutive time Chris Hipchen was a one-man wrecking crew for Geneva.

The junior vaporized the Knights' 4-0 third-inning lead with a grand slam and later connected on his fifth home run in the teams' two games with a game-tying solo shot in the sixth.

"Everyone is hitting the ball, not just me," Hipchen said. "It's just see the ball, hit the ball. It's that simple. (The Kaneland starter) gave me a fastball (on the grand slam), and I didn't miss it. (The Knights' pitchers) have been challenging me (with hard stuff)."

"I'm sure that ball looks like a beach ball to (Hipchen)," Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said.

Geneva senior Alex Sroka extended the Vikings' unanswered burst to 8 runs with a 3-run lined shot over the left-field fence to give Geneva an 8-4 lead after three and a half innings.

But Kaneland would respond in kind, using back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Joe Camiliere and Bobby Thorson to halve its deficit to 8-6.

Jake Fielder knotted the game at 8-8 with a 2-run double in the fifth, and Kaneland regained its lead when Davidson followed suit with a single to center.

But Hipchen, who missed a home run by inches in the fourth, left no doubt with a towering drive over the fence in left for his eighth home run of the spring to forge another deadlock at 9-9.

Cornick had one of the Vikings' 6 doubles to give Geneva a 10-9 lead, but Kaneland pinch-hitter Drew French restored the Knights' lead to 11-10 with a two-out, 2-run double off the left-field fence.

But Geneva had the third lead change in as many half innings in the top of the seventh as pinch-hitter Anders Langlo delivered a clutch run-scoring single.

Eric Renner had a bases-loaded walk to batters later to break the final tie.

"Every time we had an answer," Geneva coach Matt Holm said. "I have a lot of faith in our offense."